Gian-Marco Petrozzi, a 21-year-old Englishman, had just finished a tremendous close to what was already going to be a memorable final round of Stage 2 at European Tour Qualifying School on Monday. Early in the round, he had made an ace on the par=3 17th hole at Spain’s Las Colinas Golf & Country Club (his eighth of the day). Then down the stretch, he made five birdies over his last six holes to card a six-under 65. It was looking like it would be enough to get him into a playoff for an alternate spot into the final stage … or so he thought.

Roughly 20 minutes after his round, Petrozzi learned he had been assessed a two-stroke penalty in what might be one of the more unusual—and frustrating—rulings we’ve heard coming from Q-School. On his final hole, Petrozzi had paced off a yardage for his approach shot, which would have to carry a bunker ahead of his ball to get to the green. He walked through the bunker to get his distance, and then on the way back to his ball, he raked his footprints in the sand.

As it turns out, what he thought was an attempt at good etiquette was construed Rule 13-2 as improving his line of play. The extra two strokes gave him a 67 that left him tied for 32nd place.

Golf Digest story.

How ridiculous is this he raked the bunker out of consideration for others who might have hit in there ... you can't rake the bunker before you hit your ball in the bunker but this isn't an issue here...there have been instances where penalties have been rescinded on reflection this is a such a case IMO.

PUNCHING ON: Brett Rankin (right) bumps fists with his caddie during his second round at The Lakes. Pictu AFP

SO HERE comes Brett Rankin to once again save the Australian Open.

What … you don’t remember him?

Well, no shame in that.

Especially given it’s now 10 years since the then anonymous Queensland amateur – a kid with only $1.97 in his bank account – was plucked from washing golf carts to replace Australian poster boy Adam Scott in the 2008 Open field.

At the time it was some story.

Just as it is now, as Rankin wakes this morning heading into an Open weekend just three strokes off the lead after fighting to five-under at The Lakes yesterday.

And more is set to unfold today. First, let’s rewind a decade, back to when Scott, that golden boy of Australian golf, wasn’t just the new owner of a Gulf Stream jet but the image Open officials had plastered across billboards, posters and everything.

So when the former world No.1 withdrew on tournament eve – due to a surfing injury of all things – in rocked a 22-year-old who was still living at home and had to bludge $400 off his little brother to make the trip.

“Which is crazy, to think back that far,” Rankin said yesterday, a genuine Open challenger.

“And you know what’s funny, I actually had more than $1.97 in my account.

“The day before (the Open) I called my dad and said ‘mate, can you check my balance?’ He said I had $1.97, but he was looking in the wrong account.

“I had another account with $400, maybe $500 in it. Not much more but I was all right.”

Despite being ranked No.1090 in the world, Rankin is grateful to not only be travelling the globe playing the game he loves but on the cusp of again becoming the feel-good yarn of the event.

Back in 2008, this knockabout Aussie was unknown to even his opening day partners, countrymen Craig Parry and Stuart Appleby.

“Which was funny,” he said.

“I remember four holes in, Appleby goes to me: ‘You know, the beauty of playing with Adam Scott is that you can always spot a few good lookers in the crowd’.

“(Laughs) Then he looks at me and says, ‘So far, I’m not seeing a whole lot of game from you’.”

And as for this being what he dreamed of 10 years ago: “Obviously I’d love to be on the (US PGA) Tour, but playing professionally, it’s tough.

“If I had a family, kids, I’d have a job by now.

“But I’ve always said as long as I’m paying my way, I’ll keep doing it. Because playing golf, I just love what I do.”

ENDS

I would like him to do well this weekend has a very good game ...plays at Pacific regularly with a couple of his mates.....I've not had a game with him but did play with his dad and Wally Lewis's dad Jimmy in the Vets some years ago also at Wynnum with his younger brother a very nice young guy.

Ogilvy: Tarnished – How the Stonehaven Cup lost its lustreBy Geoff Ogilvy Nov 12 2018 12:00PM Growing up in Melbourne, I was always told that the Australian Open was golf’s ‘fifth major’. It had such a great history, so the case was persuasive. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had all regularly come down to play and all three had won the event. So I was sold.But, looking back now, that our Open was hailed as the fifth most important event in the game is hard to imagine. We believed it then though, because Greg Norman played every year and so did so many other iconic names of that era.It all made sense. The Australian Open, after all, was the biggest event in a country that has produced so many good and great golfers. It was one of the tournaments everyone wanted to win. It might not have carried the biggest purse in the game, but, along with other national Opens around the world, it was really important. I mean, who doesn’t want to win something called, say, ‘The Scottish Open?’ A title like that carries with it great history and prestige.I speak from experience. When I won the Australian Open at The Lakes back in 2010 I was competing around the world at the highest level. So that victory wasn’t the most important thing for me at the time. Back then, my head was full of the money and the exemptions and the notoriety that comes with winning anything. And the Australian Open didn’t provide much in any of those departments.But as the years go by, that victory is more and more a source of great pride for me. By the time I am done playing, it will represent the second-biggest win of my career after the 2006 US Open. Bigger than any of my three World Golf Championship wins.The Stonehaven Cup is just a really cool thing to have on my mantelpiece. Over time it will mean a lot more to me than, say, the Buick Invitational on the PGA Tour. I’m not really going to remember that too well in my old age. But I’m never going to forget the 2010 Australian Open. The passage of time makes it more and more important. And that is what ultimately proves it is a great tournament.

Ogilvy ranks his 2010 Australian Open triumph as a career highlight, due to the tournament’s rich history. PHOTO: Getty Images.Given that fact, the Australian Open is the one tournament in this country that has a real chance to get really big, which is not to say that making it really big is going to be easy. The economic clout of the PGA Tour has done much to ‘ruin’ so many events held outside the United States. Only those in the Middle East and maybe the HSBC event in China have been able to compete financially. You need substantial corporate backing if you want to hang with those running $10m tournaments.Money is just one of the problems facing the Australian Open today. Maybe 25 years ago the prize fund was competitive. But that is no longer the case. In fact, we are now playing the Australian Open for less money than when I turned professional two decades ago. It was a big tournament back then. Played towards the end of the northern hemisphere summer it was surrounded by a few other big events. So players from elsewhere could bring their families and make the long trip worthwhile. It made sense.Now it makes less sense. The tournament date is an issue. This year, for example, the Australian Open clashes with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the season-ending event on the European Tour. So there is no possibility of any of the top-60 players on the world’s second-biggest circuit teeing-up at The Lakes. It also clashes with the biggest event on the Japanese Tour, the Dunlop Phoenix, which means the Aussies plying their trade on that Tour will be there and not at The Lakes.“Imagine if the US Open sold itself to one city. What a waste of resources that would be. And the same is true of Australia.” – Geoff OgilvyPlus, for every foreign visitor, there is a tax issue in Australia. There is tax everywhere, of course. But in Australia we have a 48 percent withholding tax. So every player loses half of their prize money. They could win, say, $100,000 in the tournament, only get $50,000 and then have to pay their expenses on top. So maybe they take home around $30,000. That’s a lot of money, but the same players could go to a ‘Silly Season’ event in the United States, make the same money and stay at home.Logistically, the Australian Open has been squeezed into a box that is difficult to escape from. No one did anything wrong to create that part of this scenario. It’s just what has happened. But plenty of mistakes have also been made along the way. Moving almost exclusively to Sydney was a great deal financially. But it has changed the identity of the Australian Open. Today, it is just a ‘normal’ tournament that happens to be played in Sydney. We’re not playing our national Open on a rota of our best courses.Which is not to say that The Lakes, The Australian and Royal Sydney are not part of that rota. But we need to be showing the world what we have. And to almost shut out the likes of Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Royal Adelaide and New South Wales is a mistake. A golf tournament in many ways is an advertisement for the host country and we are not showing ourselves to our best advantage. Imagine if the US Open sold itself to one city. What a waste of resources that would be. And the same is true of Australia.Another consequence of past decisions is that, logistically, the tournament is being run so poorly. So much doesn’t work too well … little things that make a difference. Parking. The roping-off of the fairways. I hate to say this, but the Australian Open feels like a second-second-rate tournament now. I’m sure it is run in the same way it was 30 years ago. But tournaments elsewhere have progressed so much. And the differences show.

Crowds gather round the 2nd green at The Australian during last year’s Open. PHOTO: Getty Images.That is true when you compare the Australian Open with other big sporting events in this country. The Open tennis, the Melbourne Cup, the Grand Prix and the AFL Grand Final are all miles better than the golf. They are massive events. And the Australian Open golf should be in that sort of conversation. But it has fallen behind all of those other sports.There is an obvious solution.The biggest success story in golf is the Masters at Augusta National. It is the only tournament that never talks about money. They don’t advertise or market themselves. They just go out of their way to run the best tournament they can. They want the best tees, the best fairways, the best ropes, the best food, the best parking – all to provide the best experience for everyone inside the gate. And, over the years, that constant attention to detail has created the world’s best golf tournament (the other three majors are championships), one that everyone wants to see.That is a great example for the Australian Open.The aim should be to run the best golf tournament in Australia. Do that and the money will come. How do I know that? There is a perfect example much closer to home than the state of Georgia in the US.The Australian Open needs to follow the example of the Victorian Open. The Australian Open needs to make itself a better product. Forget about the money and just run a great tournament. Build it and the people will come. The Vic Open is living proof of that. Armed with a great concept – combining men and women’s events – and an interesting venue it has, in four or five years, gone from being a largely irrelevant state Open to a European Tour and Ladies European Tour event. It is now maybe the second-biggest event in the country.All of which has been achieved by just running a nice tournament. Money was tight, so they clearly decided just to be the best tournament they could be. The result is that many of the best women players now come and play. The men too – and there will be more than ever of them next February. Proof that a quality tournament – run well – doesn’t have to chase the cash. As I said, get it right and the money will eventually come.Think about it. Over the past few years the Vic Open has been widely talked about as the best event in the country. And now they are being rewarded for that. Next year it will offer more prizemoney than the Australian Open. Which is ridiculous. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. And shows how possible it is to create a big event by doing all the little things well.“Over the past few years the Vic Open has been widely talked about as the best event in the country … Next year it will offer more prizemoney than the Australian Open. Which is ridiculous.” – Geoff OgilvySadly, the Australian Open seems to be heading in the opposite direction. For example, this year the event will not offer (as it has done in recent years) on-course radio coverage to spectators and, through the internet, golf fans worldwide. That is a mistake. Golf Australia should be employing youngsters to go out on the course so that they can tweet and Instagram everything they see and hear. Little things like that promote the event brilliantly. We need to tell the world how much fun you can have at the golf. Make it a cool thing to do. Get that message out there. Via the internet, the potential market is seven billion. Via Australian television the market is a proportion of 24 million.Other things would obviously help. The Australian Open would overnight be a bigger deal if all of our best players were in the field. Every player who anyone has ever heard of needs to be competing. But the situation we have now – Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Adam Scott will all be missing this year – is not the fault of the players. It is the fault of the tournament.A better job needs to be done with player liaison. Questions need to be asked. What do you want? Why aren’t you coming? Let’s fix it.This might sound odd, but nearly everyone would want to play, even in a low-purse Australian Open. All we have to do is make it a little bit easier for them to come. I am absolutely certain that, with the exception of the top-dozen players, if you gave just about any PGA Tour player a first-class ticket – do a deal with Qantas if that is what it takes – booked them a nice hotel room and fed them for a week, many of them would play in the Australian Open. In the big scheme of things, that is not too expensive.In the medium-term, a structure needs to be created where the Australian Open bounces around the country a bit more. Going to Melbourne in two of the next few years is not good enough. Governments shouldn’t own the national Open; the golfers should. I’m not sure what club members across the country would think of this idea, but here goes.“Going to Melbourne in two of the next few years is not good enough. Governments shouldn’t own the national Open; the golfers should.” – Geoff OgilvyOne way to raise money to operate the Australian Open would be to charge every golf club member, say $5. Or maybe a small percentage of whatever dues every member pays. In our annual fees we already pay insurance and some other little things. So why not an ‘Australian Open’ fee? Let’s say we have 500,000 registered golfers giving $10, that’s $5m and the total budget for the event.For that gesture, every golf club member could get a discounted Australian Open ticket, all for contributing in a small way to the tournament fund. In other words, give every club member ownership in the tournament. Make it their event. Create some loyalty. And give them credit during the coverage. Tell them it is through their generosity that the tournament exists. Now come and see what you have done.If some version of all of the above comes to pass, there is no reason why the Australian Open cannot compete with our other great sporting events – at least in terms of quality. No, it might not – at least in the short-term – engender the same respect worldwide. But give it time.

Apparently the venue Sydney or Melbourne isn't the reason.... it's the timing ......not convenient for the top Tour players to come down under.....according to Geoff Ogilvy the AO clashes with other more lucrative events ........and most of the top Australian golfers no longer call Australia home....... all relocated to the USA or Switzerland ...and show little regard for the country they owe their success to...as the long gone pollie said and has often been repeated by amongst others my goodself "You can put your money on Self Interest it's always tryin'"

MARC Leishman admits breaking the bad news to Adam Scott that he wouldn’t be playing for Australia at the World Cup of Golf was a difficult phone call to make.But the pain was quickly eased when a video chat with Cameron Smith laid the foundations of a close bond Leishman believes could help deliver Australia a sixth World Cup title in Melbourne this week.With world No.21 Leishman the best-ranked player at Metropolitan Golf Club and Smith close behind at No.33, the Australians are betting favourites in the event featuring 28 pairings.Leishman became Australia’s top eligible player in September when Jason Day declined his invitation.The top player from each nation can choose their Cup teammate and Leishman picked Smith instead of Scott (pictured), despite the Queensland pair being neck-and-neck on the rankings.But Leishman said Smith’s consecutive third-place results in the opening US PGA Tour playoff events forced his selection.“It was a very hard phone call to make to Scotty; I’m great mates with (him) and Cam,” Leishman said. “(After phoning Scott) I Face-Timed Cam and my (sons) Harvey and Ollie came up behind me and we asked Cam did he want to play.”Smith admits a profanity may have slipped out in earshot of Leishman’s sons in the jubilation of being told he would make his professional debut for an Australian golf team.“It probably was not the response the kids were hoping to hear but there was a bit of excitement there,” Smith said. “It was on my radar all year; I really wanted to make the team.”Australia last won the Cup under a different format when former world No.1s Day and Scott lifted the trophy at Royal Melbourne in 2013, while Day earnt the individual title.Leishman and Smith will face stiff competition from tournament heavyweights England, whose team will feature Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter and rising star Tyrrell Hatton.American duo Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley also loom as a force, as do defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen for Denmark.It is an unofficial PGA Tour event featuring a $US7 million ($A9.6 million) prize purse with $US1.1 million ($A1.5 million) going to each member of the winning team.

Mate of mine who follows international golf thought in pre post betting Australia were under the odds however he suggested Korea and Belgium were both over the odds at $19 ,On Betfair he got $19 Korea but he missed out on Belgium, I took his tip and took $12.50 Belgium but I forgot he mentioned Korea.Go Belgium

SEASONED duo John Senden and Matt Millar yesterday shared in a rare seven-way tie when the $50,000 Bartons/ BMD Wynnum Pro-Am had a finish befitting its 40th edition.Former Australian Open champion Senden (pictured) birdied the final hole to reach his six-under-par 64, which was as low as anyone could go.Canberra’s Millar is insatiable when it comes to a profit-making formula because he had six birdies and 14 pars just 24 hours after his tie for third at the Australian PGA.The pair shared the top spoils at Australia’s richest one-day pro-am with Gavin Fairfax, Brad Burns, Max McCardle, Wynnum product Christopher Wood and Dale Brandt-Richards.More than 30 pros backed up from the Australian PGA in a strong field.Rod Pampling (67), Aaron Wilkin (65) and 67-year-old Rodger Davis (73), the 1986 Australian Open champion, were other notables playing.The seven-way tie had long-time PGA officials recalling the record joint win by nine players at the Murwillumbah Pro-Am a decade ago.Senden will play host today at Keperra Country Club when many of the same top pros play the PGA Charity Golf Day to raise funds for Jarrod Lyle’s Family Trust.Australian PGA champion Cameron Smith will join the field for the 8am shotgun start for the worthy cause.As a show of how Lyle touched golfers around the world, leading American pro Rickie Fowler airmailed an autographed golf bag, driver and golf shoes to be auctioned at the lunch.› FORMER major winner Wayne Grady has galvanised major backing for a bumper $150,000 Gold Coast Celebrity Pro-Am on April 4-5 at L a k e l a n d s Golf Club.Grady said at yesterday’s launch that he had always wanted to create such a bumper event in the style of the PGA Tour in the US which kicks in major funds to different charities from every tournament.Funds raised will support the Gold Coast charity foundation Ashton’s Place to aid early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.The mix of pros, 25 celebrities, including Jeff Thomson, Todd Woodbridge, Wally Lewis and Kerri-Anne Kennerley, and willing amateurs will make up 50 groups.“I’ve been living on the Gold Coast since 1988 and I’d do anything for it,’’ Grady said.“This is a tournament solely for charity that has wonderful benefits for families.’’

How goods is this young bloke Cameron Smith ? Wins back to back Aussie PGA's, now about 28 in the World and straight out to a Charity Event at a Suburban Brisbane Golf Course. Well done: I hope he keeps this respect for the game and those who play it. Does anyone know Bernard Tomic's number so he might be able to give him a bell ?

Awesome, so cool and professional pleasure to watch this young man. Australia will well represent the world well in the next five years with the awesome talent of golf Australia’s elite players coming through the program

2019 Rule Changes:With 2019 vastly approaching it is time for all members to familarise themselves with the change to some very common rules that come into effect January 1 2019. We have attached a link which outlines the main 20 rules you should know. Please click here to watch a short video, if you have any questions please see our Golf shop team for clarification.We have also made a 2nd document that has 9 short 1 min videos with new rules information for you to view click here .

2019 Rule Changes:With 2019 vastly approaching it is time for all members to familarise themselves with the change to some very common rules that come into effect January 1 2019. We have attached a link which outlines the main 20 rules you should know. Please click here to watch a short video, if you have any questions please see our Golf shop team for clarification.We have also made a 2nd document that has 9 short 1 min videos with new rules information for you to view click here .

There's a simplified Rule Book provided to golf club members by the AGU issued by the R&A and USGA it's called Player's Edition of the Rules of Golf effective January 2019 which will come in handy although in some cases it will be necessary to refer to the full edition of the Rules of Golf ........one if not the main objective is to speed up play which is a good thing .......in Monthly Medal comps at my home course you can expect a game of stroke play to take up to 5 hours..... normally it'll be 4 and sometimes a half hour more than that .......and the reason is membership is aging ......we're not as quick as fast or as long or as accurate as when we started .......and the course is tough .....looking for a ball has been reduced from 5 to 3 minutes...... good luck enforcing that if having to go back to where you last hit it will take more than the minutes shaved off the search time...another time saver not included is restricting the number of practice swings..... some players I know take 4 or 5 before hitting the ball and if its a thin hit it'll run along the ground for 50 or 60 metres and they go through the routine once again....very frustrating ..there's one group who used to start the field now they're second off but give them 15 or 20 minutes start and you'll be waiting on every shot after you catch them up.

Several emails today announcing a new Taylor Made driver M5 and M6 plus fairway woods drivers are $499USD but $749AUD list price here interesting name in the promo they have given "Hammerhead" that was the nick name of former Rocky Labour MP Robert Schwarten ... hammerhead ...had a penchant for punch ups reportedly.

Even if they are he world's best clubs they wont help at least 95% of the population. I was a crap golfer who had a passable social game when I was on song. I gave up for about 15 years ago when my back did. As I had the time about 2 years ago I picked up the clubs I always hated and decided to play until my body got used to the effort (9 holes or a bucket of no more than 5 balls at the driving range to start). In frustration I found a golf pro who looked at me in horror and told me to take a certain stance and hit a 7 iron until I got used to it. I had a few lessons spaced a few months apart and recently went to see him when things weren't going so well. He said 'you don't develop new faults you just go back to the old ones' which turned out to be sage advice. While I got some new clubs (technology has moved on in 20 years and my old clubs were crap) I have learn't several things which you don't find on you-tube videos. Two of the most important are keep your nose still (your eyeballs move so keeping your head still doesn't work even if you think it does) and get the take away right (flat around not steep to turn/ rotate and avoid sway the killer for a fade to slice). There are other things you need to do as well if golf doesn't come naturally despite what Jarrod Lyle said (essentially just swing the club). Unfortunately when I go to the driving range i now shudder in horror at some of the swings I see and have even had the temerity to suggest to some they get a lesson. Sure I can't score as could as i could in my best years but at least i now know what i am doing wrong and enjoy smashing the odd good drive down the middle and amazing some of my friends from the early days. The answer - forget the latest hot driver - a good teacher is worth all the money it costs even if I was you are a slow to get the message.

I agree with you timw that technique is more important than getting the latest driver ......after all the COR is the limit laid down by the R&A and the USGA so lessons from a pro will help most of us until we go back to doing what caused us to get a lesson or two in the first place ....I've been playing golf for close on 30 years have upgraded my clubs to suit my game but my handicap is almost back to what it was when I first started all those years ago ....as I'm 30 years older than when I first started .....over those years I've lost a lot of distance but usually have a respectable round unless I get into trouble by hitting into the water or not getting out in one from bunkers ..three years ago I won the B grade championship with net scores 64 and 68 now I'm back in C grade and have trouble playing to my handicap ..but I still love the game and don't treat it too seriously......I remember walking off the course one day after a losing day with an old time bookie ..he put our losses in perspective saying there's plenty of blokes in Toowong (cemetery) who would gladly swap places with us.